Vehicle Description
Do you ever crave simplicity? Do you look under the hood of your
modern car and remember when you could keep anything running with a
screwdriver and a crescent wrench? Then take a look at this
handsome 1941 Chevrolet panel delivery truck, which has a bit of
the new mixed in with a lot of the old, making for one delightful
old pickup that does everything right.
Thanks to an obviously expensive restoration and a completely
unaltered body, this rare old delivery truck looks suitably
old-school. The pre-war trucks have a pleasing rounded shape with
faired-in headlights that were all the rage back then. It doesn't
look as though this truck was one of those you see in calendars
with trees growing through their engine bays, but rather a solid,
complete truck that got a thorough makeover just a few years ago.
The body is all steel and finish quality is impressive enough to
justify the price with only a few signs of use since it was
finished. All the chrome was faithfully retained to keep it looking
stock, and the big shiny grille makes for an imposing sight running
down the road. Matching chrome bumpers, neat inserts in the sides
of the hood, and single square taillight (with a set of additional
lights added for safety) are all original design cues that still
look great today. And check out the oval windows in the rear doors!
The only thing missing now is your shop's logo on the side; panel
trucks just look naked without some advertising on their flanks (it
does come with some UPS magnets to match the UPS Brown paint)
The interior has been freshened a bit, including a pair of modern
bucket seats wrapped in two-tone saddle-type leather. It's a lot
more comfortable than the original vinyl bench and makes this
cruiser easy to spend time in. You'll also note a wood-rimmed wheel
on a late-model column, a custom insert for the white-faced VDO
gauges, and the long shifter in the center, just as it was in 1941.
A rubber mat was intended for guys who actually worked and got
dirty doing it, so this pickup remains a low-maintenance
proposition. There is no radio, but the sound of this pickup going
about its business is so charming that you probably won't even
notice. The cargo bay is beautifully finished with an oak floor and
matching paneling, along with distressed-looking leather on the
rear doors. You could put it to work but it's almost too
pretty.
It would be easy to under-estimate the venerable Chevy "stovebolt"
six and want a small block V8 under the hood just like all the
other garden-variety trucks, but before you decide, please come
drive this one. The 235 cubic inch inline-six is sewing-machine
smooth and has a great grumbly exhaust note that you'll surely
enjoy. It's also torquey and doesn't mind revving a bit, all the
while delivering decent fuel economy. It has been converted to
twelve volts and wears a few chrome dress-up pieces, so it's not
exactly original, but the feel is old-fashioned and you'll find
that maintenance is simple once again. Linked to a 3-speed manual
and reasonable gears out back, it's much happier in today's traffic
and on the highway. Underneath it's in good order with a rebuilt
brake system, new mufflers, and painted wheels wearing trim rings,
hubcaps, and 6.00-16 Firestone wide whites.
Nicely documented with photos and restoration receipts, this panel
truck stands out in a sea of heavily modified trucks and still gets
the job done. Call today!
